Recent windy weather is also stirring up some allergies.
"The pollen that causes allergies for the most part are wind-pollinated from trees and from grass," said Dr. James Haden, an allergy and asthma specialist with Texas Health Fort Worth. "So the more wind, the more pollen and the more evenly-distributed the pollen becomes, so the more people suffer."
But not everything you've heard about allergies is true. Like the one about short-haired pets being "allergy-free."
"People will purchase a dog that they've been told is not going to cause any allergies, and that's not true," Dr. Haden said. "There is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog or cat"
Some people actually believe chihuahuas can relieve or even cure asthma, or that eating local honey can help alleviate or prevent seasonal allergies. Neither is true.
And doctors say allergy shots don't always take years to work.
"You can change how long it takes for the allergy shots to kick in," Dr. Haden said. "Traditionally, It takes several months of doing shots kind of the traditional or old-fashioned way."
But with rush immunotherapy, "you do an all-day jump start to the shot process, and then your shots can start kicking in in a matter of weeks," Dr. Haden said.
Doctors say one of the biggest myths is that you have to suffer. But it's a good idea to see a specialist and figure out exactly what it is you're allergic to.
"If you can anticipate when your allergy season is going to begin and start your medicines before that, it's much easier to prevent symptoms than to treat it when they're out of control," Dr. Haden said.
